Plumbing fixture



March 14,1944. 5 JUDELL 7 2,344,150

PLUMBING FIXTURE Filed Aug. 22, 1941 Q 2' d NV TOR.

ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 14, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PLUMBINGFIXTURE Julius S. Judell, Shorewood, Wis., assignor to Milwaukee FlushValve Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin ApplicationAugust 22, 1941, Serial No. 407,847

1 Claim.

' tered in the plumbing art, due to so-called backfiow or back siphonagethrough certain types of plumbing fixtures, whereby contaminated andimpure liquid was permitted to enter fresh water distribution pipes orsystems. Such action may take place in various types of liquid supplydevices the outlet or delivery ends of which may at times be submerged,such as direct flushing valves, underrim water supply connections to aplumbing fixture or receptacles wherein the water surface is exposed toatmosphere, and hose and spray fittings. While it is a relatively simplematter to obviate back-fiow or back-siphonage in fixtures having fixedlylocated liquid supply valves and dispensing nozzles, by merely providinga sufiicient air gap between the discharge orifice of the delivery spoutor nozzle and the flood level rim or overflow of the basin or receptorfor the liquid; the problem becomes far more complicated when theposition of either the supply valve or of the nozzle discharge orifice,is variable in vertical location so that this orifice may at times beimmersed in the liquid of the receiving basin, as in the case of a hoseand spray fitting. In such fixtures the spray nozzle or head may bepermitted to lie in the bottom of the liquid filled receptacle, when thesupply of fresh liquid from the control valve or valves is interrupted,and back-flow may then occur.

It is therefore a more specific object of the present invention toprovide improved instrumentalities for positively preventing back-flowor back-siphonage in hose and spray nozzle plumbing fixtures wherein theliquid delivery orifice of the nozzle may at times be immersed inliquid;

Another specific object of the invention is to provide an improvedback-flow preventer of the type whose performance depends upon theautomatic mechanical operation of relatively simple movable partsdisposed wholly within the fixture with which the device is associated.

A further object of my invention is, to provide an automaticallyfunctioning back-flow prevention device, especially adapted forcooperation with a sink fixture having one or more stationarily mountedwater supply valves for delivering liquid to a universally movable sprayhead or nozzle through a flexible tube associated with rigid conduitsections or portions of the valves and nozzle.

Still another specific object of the present invention is to providevarious improvements in the construction and operation of liquiddispensing fixtures of the adjustable nozzle type, whereby the cost ofconstruction is reduced to a minimum, while the utility and efiiciencythereof are enhanced to a maximum.

These and other specific objects and advantages of the improvement willbe apparent from the following detailed description.

A clear conception of an embodiment of the invention, and of the mode ofconstructing and of utilizing sink fixtures built in accordance with theimprovement, may be had by referring to the drawing accompanying andforming a part of this specification wherein like reference charactersdesignate the same or similar parts. The single figure is a partsectional front elevation of a spray and hose sink fixture embodying onetype of the improved back-flow preventer, and showing the same appliedto a fragment of a sink.

While the invention has been shown and described herein as having beenspecifically applied to a special type of sink fixture having two fixedliquid supply valves adapted to deliver liquid mixturethrough a hose toa universally movable spray-spout nozzle, it is not my intention tothereby unnecessarily restrict the scope or utility of the improvement;and the term nozzle as used herein is intended to define any kind ofliquid dispensing means such as a discharge spout, adjustable ornon-adjustable spray head, or the like.

Referring to the drawing, the improved plumbing fixture shown thereincomprises in, general, a pair of laterally spaced normally stationaryand concealed liquid supply valves 7, 8 secured to the rear ledge of thesink 9 or other receptacle by means of clamping nuts l0 and eachcommunicating with an independent inlet pipe II and with a common rigidJ-shaped discharge conduit l2 firmly interconnecting the two valvecasings I3; a universally movable spray-spout liquid dispensing nozzlel4 having one end provided with a manually adjustable disk I 5 forconverting the discharge orifice Hi from a spray to a jet deliverer, orvice versa, while its opposite depending end I! is formed for pivotaland detachable association with a fixed pivot bushing IS, the nozzleorifice l6 and pivot end being connected by a rigid conduit [9 which iscovered by an insulating handle 20; a flexible tube or elongated hose 2!extending through the pivot bushing l8 and normally confined beneath thesink 9, and having its opposite ends connected respectively to theconduits l2, I9; and a gravity actuated back-flow preventing non-returncheck valve 22 interposed in the rigid lower outlet portion 23 orshorter leg of the J-shaped conduit 12, between the valves 1, 8 and thehose 2|.

The liquid supply valves 1;8 have their casings l3 so interconnected bythe rigid mixing conduit I2, that this conduit as well as the valves maybe disposed beneath the ledge of the sink 9 and concealed thereby; andthe valve casings i3, conduit l2, and lower central portion 23 may allbe formed of an integral casting. Each of the improved supply valves1,-8 comprises a vertically adjustable valve body or plug 24 cooperablewith an annular seat 25 secured within the casing l3, and having-anactuating stem 25 coacting with a sealing device 21; and an ac tuatinghandle 23 'detachably secured to the upper extremity of the stem 26 bymeans of a screw 29, and having an escutcheon cap 39 firmly attachedthereto. Each valve plug 24' has-external screw threads '3!coacting-with internal threads of itscasingl'S, so that when the valvestem 26 is rotated 'with'the aid of its handle 28, the correspondingplug 24 will move toward or away from its seat 25 depending upon thedirection of rotation. The handles 29 may be marked as shown, in orderto 'indicatethe character of the liquid controlled therebyyandtheescutcheon cups 39 may be formed of the same material as the nozzlehandle 20, and serve to normally conceal the sealing device 2lwhilepermitting convenient access thereto. 1 v f The improved spray-spoutliquid dispensing nozzle I4 is adapted to be moved vertically andlaterally in any direction; by virtue of its connection to the fiexiblehose 2|, when the nozzle has been removed from the pivot bushing [8 asillustrated;' and the jet're'gulating disk I has an integral adjustingstem' 32: provided with screw threads 33 coacting with the nozzle casing34, and provided with a manipulating cap 35, so that rotation of the.cap 35, stem. 32 and disk 55 will'convert the.delivered liquid eitherfrom a spray into a solidannular jet, or .vice versa, depending upon thedirection of rotation. The nozzle i4 is however,v also. adapted to beutilized as a swing spout when the cylindrical rear dependingpivot-end'portion l1 thereof .is inserted within the pivot bushing l3. Ihe bushing I8 is fixedly secured to the sink 9 midway between the valves1, 8, by means-of-a clamping ring 36; and the nozzle portion I! may beprovided with one or more notches 31 which are cooperable with a fixedpin 38 secured to the bushing l3 so as to positively prevent the nozzleM from swinging out of the sink basin 39 when the nozzle assemblage isbeing used as. a fixed or swing spout. 'The notches 31 may be elongatedso as to permit limited lateral swinging of the nozzle M, or severalnotches 31 which snugly engage the pin 38 may be used in order topositively fix the nozzle in any one of several predetermined positions.a

The improved back-flow preventer shown and which comprises the gravityactuated ball check valve 22, is disposed directly between the conduitportion 23 and the inlet end of the hose 2|. This non-return check valve22 may be confined within a fitting 49 to which the inlet end of thehose 2| may be attached by means of a union 4|, and this fitting 40 mayalso be provided with a closure cap d2 having a stop pin 43 thereon forpreventing the ball valve 22 from closing off communication to the hose2| when the non-return check valve is lifted from its seat by liquidunder pressure issuing from the conduit portion 23. The cap 42 isremovable so as to permit ready access to the ball valve 22, and thedelivery end of the hose 2! may be connected to the nozzle portion H bymeans of another union 4!.

, The normal operation should be clearly apparent from the foregoingdescription, and it will be noted that the non-return check valve 22will permit liquid under pressure to fiow freely from either orbothvalves l, 8 to the nozzle orifice I6, but will positively preventback-flow or backsiphonage of liquid fromthe orifice -lii to either ofthe valves 1,8. 1 I q The improved fixtures are obviously simple andcompact in construction, and are also devoid of unsightly exposed partssuch as valve bodies, conduits and packing; elements. The valve bodiesl3 and fixed connecting conduits are all permanently concealed beneaththe sink 9; andwhen the convertible nozzle is being used as a spout, theflexible hose 2! is also; concealed. The supply valves 1, 8 areextremely simple and compact in construction, yet highly effective inuse, and the structure is also simplified and improved inappearance byattaching the-escutcheon caps 39 directly to the handles -29. Theappearance. of these; fixtures is also improved by forming theescutcheon caps 39 of'the same colored material usedas an insulatinghand-1e. 20; for the nozzles, and these nozzles are readily convertiblefrom a spout into a universally movablespray or rinser, and from aspraying fixture into a jet deliverin device. The present improvedfixtures can be manufactured and sold at moderate cost, may be quicklyand conveniently installed, and the improved back-fiow appliances canalsobereadily applied thereto at little expense. i s

It should be understood that it is not desired to limit thisinventiontogthe exact detailsof construction, or to the precise modeofuse, herein shown and described, for various modifications within thescope of the claim may occur topersons skilled in the art. it Y I claim:i

In a-plumbing fixture, a pair of liquid supply valves interconnected'bya rigid conduit having a rigid J-shaped tube depending therefrom andproviding a single outlet between the valves,;& universally movablerigid liquid mixture dispensing nozzle adapted to be positioned aboveand below said valves and having an inlet connected to the shorter legof said-J-shaped tube below the upper extremityof said leg by aflexiblehose, a gravity actuated non-return ball' check valve locatedinsaid shorterrigid tube leg below and in advance of the inlet end ofsaid flexible hose for positively preventing back-flow of liquid fromsaid nozzle and hose to either of said valves through said conduit, anda removable cap normally closing saidupper end and being cooperable withsaid check valve to prevent its sealing the adjacent endof said;hose.-;y

